JPH1148978A - Wheel lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To move a vehicle smoothly with its auxiliary wheels. SOLUTION: A wheel lock mechanism comprises a jack mechanism 10 for raising and supporting a vehicle 100, and a mechanism 20 for separating a main wheel 1 up from the ground independently of the raising motion of the jack mechanism 10. The jack mechanism 10 first supports the vehicle 100 with its leg 13b together with an auxiliary wheel 2 such that the main wheel 1 is raised off the ground. In this state, a connecting lever 43 is lowered by means of a second link mechanism 40, such that a link 42 turns about a turning shaft 5 and pulls another connecting lever 41, which in turn turns the bearing 3 of the main wheel 1 on a turning shaft 3a to separate the wheel 1 up from the ground. When the jack mechanism 10 is then released, the auxiliary wheel 2 on the side of the jack mechanism 10 is grounded, with the result that the vehicle 100 is supported only by auxiliary wheels 2 with the main wheel 1 being raised off the ground for its travel only on the auxiliary wheels 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheel locking mechanism for a vehicle having a main wheel and an auxiliary wheel, and more particularly, to temporarily lock the operation of the main wheel so that the auxiliary wheel can move in any direction. To a mechanism for

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a small baggage carrier or the like which can be pushed and moved by a force of one to at most a few people, a main wheel mainly for moving between two distant points (a starting point and a destination). At the destination reached by the movement of the main wheels, those provided with auxiliary wheels that perform operations for performing fine positioning of the vehicle, such as a change of direction with a small turning radius, have become widespread.

[0003] As described above, the main wheels operate to move between two distant points. In this case, the traveling direction of the vehicle is substantially constant and linear, and the main wheels must be turned. However, since the turning radius is large, the turning surface of the wheel is fixed in a fixed direction.

On the other hand, as described above, the rotation surface of the auxiliary wheel can be directed to an arbitrary direction so that the vehicle can perform a delicate movement such as a change of direction with a small turning radius. As an example of such an auxiliary wheel, casters are widely used.

[0005]

A vehicle having the above-mentioned main wheels and auxiliary wheels has the following problems.

In other words, the auxiliary wheel itself can turn its turning surface in any direction and can move the vehicle in any direction. However, the auxiliary wheel is intended to move in a direction other than the turning surface direction of the main wheel. In this case, the main wheels are fixed, which hinders the vehicle from moving smoothly.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to smoothly move a main wheel having a fixed rotating surface in a direction other than the traveling direction by a main wheel.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a jack mechanism for lifting and lowering the vehicle, and separates the main wheel from the ground surface separately from the one by the lifting operation of the vehicle by the jack mechanism. The mechanism is configured to separate from each other (claim 1).

With the above arrangement, when locking the main wheels, first, the jack mechanism is operated to lift one end of the vehicle, and in this state, the main wheels are separated from the ground. The vehicle is lowered by releasing the ascending operation so that the vehicle is supported only by the auxiliary wheels.

In this way, since only the auxiliary wheels operate, the vehicle can be smoothly moved in any direction.

In the above configuration, as a form of separating the main wheel from the ground contact surface, a configuration may be adopted in which the rotation surface of the main wheel is rotatable around a horizontal axis defined above the rotation axis of the main wheel. (Claim 2).

In this case, the mechanism is simpler than in the case where the main wheels are moved in the vertical direction and separated from each other.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a serving truck 100 for storing cooked dishes and the like in a container and transporting them to various places, as an example of a vehicle provided with a wheel locking mechanism according to this embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to such vehicles, and as described above, the present invention can be widely applied to vehicles that can be moved by one person or a small number of people by hand, such as small baggage carriers.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the bottom, and the casters of the main wheel 1 and the auxiliary wheel 2 are provided with the arrangement specifications as shown in the figure. Along with those wheels, as a component of the lock mechanism of the present invention, a jack mechanism 10 for floating and supporting the vehicle 100, and the main wheel 1 separately from those by the lifting operation of the vehicle 100 by the jack mechanism 10. Mechanism 20 for separating from the ground (hereinafter simply referred to as separation mechanism 20)
Is provided).

FIG. 5 shows the jack mechanism 10 in a single form. The jack mechanism 10 has a stepped plate having a large-diameter portion 12a and a small-diameter portion 12b on a mounting plate 11 with respect to the vehicle bottom surface. It has a case 12 in which a cylinder is erected, and an elevating body 13 which is loosely fitted into the small diameter portion 12b and has flanges at both ends.

Inside the large diameter portion 12a, the elevating body 13 is provided.
A compression spring S (see FIG. 6B) is sealed between the stepped portion of the case 12 and the flange portion 13a at the upper end of the elevating body 13 (see FIG. 6A) in such a manner as to be fitted inside. The spring S always urges the elevating body 13 upward with respect to the case 12. The jack mechanism 10 operates by operating the first link mechanism 30 connected to the elevating body 13 to move the elevating body 13 up and down. Next, the first link mechanism 30 and the elevating body 13 Will be described.

The first link mechanism 30 operates in a plane parallel to the plane of FIG.
Rotating shaft 3 axially passed in one diameter direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the peripheral surface of
The operation lever 32 attached to the control lever 32 and having an inverted shape (inverted upside down in the figure) is attached to an operation lever 32 and an operation end 32b of the operation lever 32 opposite to the operation end 32a. One end
3a comprises a link 33 connected thereto. This link 3
The other end 33b of 3 is rotatably connected to the mounting plate 11 of the case 12. The operation lever 32 and the link 33 are of a congruent shape and have a forked shape in which the peripheral surface of the elevating body 13 is sandwiched in parallel with the paper surface.

A band-like tread plate 34 is fixed to the operation end 32a of the operation lever 32 so as to bridge the forked shape. Is fixed.

The operation lever 32 has another forked operating lever 3 sandwiched between the forked shapes.
6 are attached to the same rotating shaft 31. The operating lever 36 releases the jacking action and raises the elevating body 13 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a raising lever 36). The operating lever 32 described above lowers the elevating body 13 (hereinafter, simply lowered). Lever 32).

The raising lever 36 is connected to the lowering lever 3.
As in the case of FIG. 2, the lower lever 32 is formed in the shape of “L” (inverted “L” in the figure).
Is attached to the same rotation shaft 31 as the shaft hole 3
7 (see FIG. 6) is an elongated hole. The operating end 36a
On the side, a tread plate 38 is fixed in a manner of bridging a forked shape, and an end 36b on the opposite side is a free end. A band-shaped plate 39 is connected to the free end so as to bridge the forked shape, and the plate 39 is connected to the large-diameter portion 1 of the case 12.
2a is a curved surface along the outer peripheral surface. The above is the configuration of the jack mechanism 10 configured to raise and lower the elevating body 13 by the first link mechanism 30. Next, the operation thereof will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6A shows the origin state of the jack mechanism 10, in which the elevating body 13 is pushed into the case 12 by the spring S.

When the lowering lever 32 is depressed from this state, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the connecting portion (rotary shaft 31) between the lever 32 and the elevating body 13 is pushed down, and the elevating body 1
3 descends and lifts the vehicle 100. At this time, when the lever 32 descends as much as possible, one side of the "curved" shape of the lever 32 and the axis of the link 33 connected to the end 32b are straightened and stretched, and the elevating body 13 is fixed. In this state, the upper surface of the tread plate 38 of the raising lever 36 protrudes from the upper edge of one side of the “lower” shape of the lowering lever 32.

In order to lift the lifting body 13 from this state and release the jacking action, the lifting lever 36 is depressed. Then, in a state where the free end 36b of one side of the “L” shape is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the case 12, the lever 36 has a component in the lever axis direction of the depressed force.
6 is moved along the elongated hole 37, and eventually, the other side also moves to the left in the figure. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6C, the lever 36 pushes the band-shaped plate 35 of the above-mentioned lowering lever 32 to break the state in which the link 33 and one side of the "U" shape of the lever 32 are in a straight line. . Accordingly, the lifting body 13 is raised with respect to the case 12 by the urging force of the spring S, and returns to the original state shown in FIG.

The wheel locking mechanism of this embodiment has the separation mechanism 20 for bringing the main wheel 1 closer to the bottom side of the vehicle 100 and separating from the ground as described above. The separation mechanism 20 includes a sliding mechanism 21 and a second link mechanism 40.

The sliding mechanism 21 includes the jack mechanism 1
0 is provided adjacent to the width direction of the vehicle, and has the same structure as the sliding mechanism in which the elevating body 13 is fitted into the case 12 of the jack mechanism 10, but does not exhibit the jacking action. The body 22 does not reach the ground even when descended as far as possible, and its lower end is not flanged. Since such a point is different from the jack mechanism 10, the description of the remaining same structure is omitted.

On the other hand, the second link mechanism 40
A connecting rod 41 having one end 41a connected to the bearing 3 of the main wheel 1 rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 3a on the bottom surface of the zero, and one end 42a connected to the other end 41b of the connecting rod 41. A link 42 attached to the rotating shaft 5 whose other end 42b is passed through a bearing (not shown) in the axle box 4;
One end 43a is rotatably connected to the pin 6 provided at the middle of the slide mechanism 2, and the other end 43b is connected to the lifting body 22 of the sliding mechanism 21.
A connecting rod 43 rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 7 passed through the shaft, and a "shape" which is rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 7 so as to overlap with the connecting rod 43. Operation lever 44
One end 8a is connected to an end portion 44b of the operation lever 44 opposite to the operation end 44a, and the other end 8b is a link 8 rotatably connected to the bottom surface of the axle box 4.
The above is the configuration of the separating mechanism 20 including the sliding mechanism 21 and the second link mechanism 40. Finally, the operation of the wheel locking mechanism of this embodiment including the separating mechanism 20 will be described.

In order to lock the main wheel 1, from the state shown in FIG. 4, first, the lifting lever 32 of the jack mechanism 10 is fully depressed to lower the elevating body 13. Then,
As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle 100 in that portion is lifted up, and the vehicle 100 is supported by the feet of this jack (the flange portion 13b at the lower end of the elevating body 13) and the auxiliary wheel 2 at the other end. The auxiliary wheel 2 near the jack mechanism rises from the ground.

In this state, the second link mechanism 40 is operated in order to operate the separation mechanism 20.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second link mechanism 40
When the elevating body 22 of the sliding mechanism 21 through which the rotating shaft 7 of the operating lever 44 passes is depressed by stepping on the operating lever 44, the connecting rod 43 connected to the rotating shaft 7 One end 43b also descends, so the other end 43a also descends. As a result, the link 43 is moved around the rotation axis 5 by the link 4
2 is rotated.

Then, the connecting rod 41 connected to the link 42 is pulled rightward in the drawing to rotate the bearing 3 of the main wheel 1 around its rotation shaft 31a, so that the main wheel 1 separates from the ground. I do. In this state, one side (the 44b side) of the "U" of the operation lever 44 and the link 8 are stretched in a straight line, and this state is maintained. Incidentally, the release of this state is the same as in the case of the jack mechanism 10.

Finally, the first link mechanism 30 is operated by stepping on the raising lever (36, not shown in FIG. 8) of the jack mechanism 10, and the lifting body 13 is raised. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the auxiliary wheel 2 on the jack mechanism side lands, so that the vehicle 100 is supported only by the auxiliary wheel 2 with the main wheel 1 floating above the ground.

In this way, the vehicle 100 can be driven only by the auxiliary wheels 2, and the vehicle 100 can be smoothly moved in any direction by the auxiliary wheels 2 without being disturbed by the main wheels 1 as in the prior art. it can.

In this embodiment, in order to separate the main wheel 1 from the ground, the rotation surface is rotated by rotation about a horizontal axis (3a) in a plane parallel to the main wheel 1.
The direction is not limited, and the rotation can be performed by rotation about a horizontal axis in a plane perpendicular to the rotation plane.

[0034]

The present invention is configured as described above.
In a vehicle equipped with a main wheel whose direction of rotation is fixed and auxiliary wheels whose rotation surface can face any direction, the main wheel can be temporarily separated from the ground. There is an effect that the vehicle can be smoothly moved in an arbitrary direction by the auxiliary wheels.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary front view showing an example of a vehicle equipped with a wheel lock mechanism according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the above.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the above.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the bottom of the above.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a jack mechanism constituting the embodiment.

6 (a) to 6 (c) are side views showing the same operation.

FIG. 7 is a bottom enlarged front view showing the operation of the lock mechanism of the embodiment.

FIG. 8

FIG. 9

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main wheel 2 Auxiliary wheel 3 Bearing 10 Jack mechanism 13, 22 Elevating body 20 Separation mechanism 30 First link mechanism 40 Second link mechanism

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A wheel locking mechanism for a vehicle comprising: a main wheel having a fixed rotating surface direction; and an auxiliary wheel having a rotating surface capable of pointing in an arbitrary direction. A jack mechanism for raising and lowering the vehicle, and a mechanism for moving the main wheel away from the ground contact surface separately from a mechanism for raising the vehicle by the jack mechanism. 2. A locking mechanism for a wheel according to claim 1, wherein the main wheel is separated from a ground contact surface by rotating the main wheel around a horizontal axis defined above the rotation axis of the main wheel. A wheel lock mechanism, which is rotatable.